Energy

Overview:

This part of the website will help you learn about all the kinds of energy. This page only names the ones that have been around for a long time. It will tell you the how the energy is usedand what it does to the environment, and what it does.

Biomass:

Is any organic matter that can be used as an energy source. Wood, crops, and yard and animal waste are examples of biomass, people have used biomass longer than any other energy source.Use: Biomass provides us a little over three percent of the energy we use. It has been replaced by cool, natural gas, petroleum, and other energy sources. Today, most of biomass energy we use comes from wood. It accounts for two- thirds of biomass consumption. Other biomass sources include biofuels, crops, garbage, and landfill gas.

Biomass and the Enviroment:Biomass can pullet the air when it is burned, though not as much as fossil fuels. Burning biomass fuels does not produce pollutants like sulfur, which can cause acid rain. Growing plants for biomassfual can reduce greenhouse gases, since plants use carbon dioxide and produce oxygen as they grow. Carbon Dioxide is considered an important greenhouse gas.

Geothermal:

Energy that is generated in the Earth's core, almost 4,000 miles beneath the Earth's surface. The double-layer core is made yo of very hot magma surrounding a solid iron center.

History of Geothermal: Geothermal was used by ancient people for heating and bathing. Today even, hot springs are used worldwide for bathing, and many people believe hot mineral waters have natural healing powers.

Geothermal Energy and the Environment: Geothermal energy does little damage to the environment. Another advantage is that geothermal plants are on top of their fuel source. Geothermal power plants have been built in deserts, in the middle crops, and in mountain forests.

Hydropower:

(Hydro means water) Hydopower is energy that comes force of water.

History of Hydropower: Water has been a source of energy for centuries. Th Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, American and European factories used water wheels to power machines.

Hydropower and the Environment:Hydropower is a clean energy source. A hydropower plant produces no air pollution because it does not burn fuel, but it does effect the environment in other ways.

Uranium (nuclear):

What is Nuclear energy? Nuclear Energy is the nucleus of an atom. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together.Nuclear Energy and the Environment: Nuclear power plants have very little impact on the environment unless there is an accident. Nuclear plants produce n0o air pollution or carbon dioxide, because no fuel is burned. Using nuclear energy may be one way to solve air pollution problems.

Solar Power:

What is Solar Energy?: Every day, the sun radiates an enormous of energy- called solar energy. It radiates more energy in one second than the world has used since time began. This energy comes from within the sun itself.Solar Collectors: Heating with solar energy is not easy as you might think. Capturing sunlight and putting it to work is difficult because the solar energy that reaches the earth is spread out over a large area. The sun does not deliver that much energy to any place at any one time. Soalr Energy and the Envirment: Solar energy has great potential for the future. Solar energy is free, and its supplies are unlimited. It does not pollute to otherwise damage the environment. It cannot be controlled by any one nation or industry. If we can improve the technology to harness the sun's enormous power, we may never face shortages again.

Wind Energy:

What is Wind? Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of surface byradiant energy from the sun. Since the earth's surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs the sun's energy at different rates.Wind Production: Every year, wind produces only small amount of electricity this country uses, but the amount is growing every year. One reason why we use wind energy it's because it easy. Sometimes the wind isn't even blowing, so it's tricky just like Solar Energy.Wind energy and the Environment: Wind is a clean source of energy and it doesn't hurt the environment. To collect the energy we set up these giant Wind Turbines. It works just like a fan, and it still doesn't hurt environment.